This invention relates generally to shock isolated pallets and, more specifically, to a pallet for supporting and protecting equipment thereon from harmful shock and vibration forces with a set of elastomer mounts which are subject to an external compression force but are configured to provide internal shear resistance rather than internal compression resistance.
None.
None
None
One of the difficulties in transporting sensitive and fragile equipment from one location to another is that the equipment can be damaged by the normal jostling encountered in loading, unloading or transportation from one location to another. The present invention comprises a pallet that includes elastomer mounts that provide enhanced protection from shock or vibration forces for the equipment on the pallet during the loading, unloading or transportation of the equipment.
Various elastomeric materials have been used, or suggested for use, to provide shock and/or vibration damping as stated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,720, which issued on Jun. 16, 1998 to Yamagisht, et al. These materials include natural rubbers and synthetic resins such as polyvinyl chlorides, polyurethane, polyamides polystyrenes, copolymerized polyvinyl chlorides, and poloyolefine synthetic rubbers as well as synthetic materials such as urethane, EPDM, styrene-butadiene rubbers, nitrites, isoprene, chloroprenes, propylene, and silicones. The particular type of elastomeric material is not critical but urethane material sold under the trademark Sorbothane(copyright) is currently employed. Suitable material is also sold by Aero E.A.R. Specialty Composites, as Isoloss VL. The registrant of the mark Sorbothane(copyright) for urethane material is the Hamiltion Kent Manufacturing Company (Registration No. 1,208,333), Kent, Ohio 44240.
One of the ways to protect equipment on pallets is to have the pallet coupled with an air ride suspension or other compressive support. Although compressive supports are widely used the elastomer mounts of the present invention provide greater shock and vibration absorption since they resist external compression forces by an internal shearing action rather than an internal material compression. The present invention provides for improved pallet support by allowing one to place the elastomer mounts between upper and lower members of the pallet such that when the elastomers are subject to an external compressive force the material in the elastomer is placed in shear rather than in compression thereby providing enhanced shock and vibration absorption.
A pallet to absorb shock and vibration energy comprising a first member and a second member spaced sufficiently far apart to allow a fork lift extension therebetween with a set of elastomer mounts spaced between the first member and the second member so as separate the upper member from the lower member and to provide pockets for insertion of the fork lift arms therein with the elastomer mount configured to provide internal shear resistance to an external static or dynamic compressive force. The pallet effectively damps shock and vibration forces on an article resting on the pallet while simultaneously supporting the weight of the article on the pallet.